1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile agent system in which an agent moves between, e.g., network-connected information devices and performs processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile agent system has conventionally been known as a technique of moving between network-connected information devices, and integrating and processing pieces of information on the information devices. The agent is an autonomous software processing unit which is constructed by data in an executable form, its executable state, and data used for execution. In the mobile agent system, such an agent processes information on a given information device.
The mobile agent moves and operates between a plurality of information devices. The operation authority which defines processes the agent performs on each device is determined from the type of agent and the settings of each information device. The operation authority of the agent is controlled by a method of laying a specific interface unique to each information device open to the agent and restricting the agent operation to only ones via the interface. The operation authority is fixed for each information device.
Each of the information devices between which the agent moves has a platform which provides an environment where the agent operates, e.g., one which provides an environment where an agent constructed on the Operating System (OS) of a computer or the like operates.
A destination information device to which the agent is to move determines whether to accept the agent on the basis of identification information of the agent. An agent whose security cannot be determined from identification information is inhibited from moving to the device. Even an agent which is permitted to move uniformly performs only permitted operations regardless of the identification information of the agent.
In this manner, the operation of the agent accepted by the destination device is restricted.
When movement of an agent or the operation of the agent at a destination are to be restricted, the prior art imposes only uniform, fixed restrictions on the basic identification information of the agent and predetermined operations permitted in the destination information device regardless of the type or function of the agent.